page_title: Thomas Davies (British Army officer)
section_title: Artist and naturalist
hierarchical_section_title: Thomas Davies (British Army officer) / Artist and naturalist
caption_attribution_description: English: Menura superba, a bird of New South Wales
context_page_description: Thomas Davies FRS FLS was a British Army officer, artist, and naturalist.
  He was born c. 1737 in Shooter's Hill, England and died 16 March 1812 in Blackheath. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant-general in the Royal Artillery. He studied drawing and recorded military operations in water-colours during several military campaigns in North America. He later became a noted artist and naturalist. He was the first to illustrate and describe the superb lyrebird.
  His work was not well known until after a 1953 auction from the Earl of Derby's library. His paintings were later shown as part of a major exhibition, 2 July – 4 September 1972, at the National Gallery of Canada.
context_section_description: In 1781, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. He was also a fellow of the Linnean Society of London and contributed several articles, especially regarding ornithology in Australia. In 1800, he was the first to illustrate and describe the superb lyrebird, in the Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. He also read reports to the society on the southern emu-wren of Australia and the meadow jumping mouse of Canada.
caption: Menura superba (superb lyrebird) by Thomas Davies
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